Dr. Alan Wildeman, a specialist in biotechnology with interests focusing on various aspects of cancer cell biology and biotechnology, comes to the G7 Udine as President of the University of Windsor (Ontario), a role in which he has served since 2008.
1) What are your expectations for the upcoming meeting in Udine? There is a great need and a great challenge to ensure that education is available to all who seek it. Education is one of the pathways to understanding the world outside of the borders of our own countries, and so we must do all to ensure that accessibility barriers are minimized. We must continue to do all we can to take advantage of technology platforms that can connect students and educators in new ways. There must also be a concerted effort to continually examine what we teach. A curriculum that does not create more informed and knowledgeable citizens and as well provide skills that will be applicable in a rapidly changing world will gradually result in the perception that the education is not relevant, and governments will not make it a priority to continue to support universities. I look forward to bringing back to Canada the perspectives of others on these issues.
2)With a prediction of 400 million students by the year 2030, do you think that the political message "Education and College Education for all" is a goal that realistically can be pursued in a globalized, yet polarized, world? I believe that this goal should be pursued. If we do not pursue it, we will see the continuation of an economically stratified society, where those with education will continue to enjoy opportunities not available to others. It will be realistic only if technology and innovation in the education system, coupled with governments making it a priority, can make it affordable for everyone.
3) E-learning opportunities are a possible pathway to offsetting the high cost of university education. Is your institution taking advantage of e-courses? We are continually increasing the number of courses available on line. When e-learning approaches are properly developed and delivered, there is not a watering down of the quality of the course and the chances of cheating are minimized. The one shortcoming is that e-courses make it more difficult to integrate workplace experience or other forms of experiential learning.
4) Migration is a huge political, social and humanitarian issue and Canada has a different approach from the United States. How does that impact admission policies at Windsor? The University of Windsor welcomes students from anywhere in the world, and we have many policies and procedures that reinforce our values and commitment to equity. We took special steps to help with the settlement of Syrian refugees, and we have increased the number of spaces available for refugee students to help accommodate them.
In collaboration with: